Gravel is not an old discipline, actually it's not even middle age. You could say it's in the teenage years, ya know the "finding yourself", "try new things" stage...not that that is a bad thing, but just different. Whether you are looking at American or European gravel, that side of cycling is very different to where it was 5 years ago.

With the growth of Gravel racing in Europe and the ever-booming expansion in the USA, we need to take a step back and understand why this is happening, who is pushing it, how it'll change the sport, and where that'll happen. Peter Stetina is that guy to talk about Gravel adaptations! He has been in the discipline right from the big start in 2019/2020 and knows all details right from inside the dust cloud. For instance, why is the UCI so terrible at developing this side of the sport? What can we do to help new riders develop? And is there a plateau that Gravel will hit?

Influencer or athlete. What does the privateer life bring? How impactful is it to our sport and the future of racing, training, and business as a bike racer? Is it worth all the trouble or better to avoid? Today I chat with Hannah Beck, an up-and-coming racer from Germany on this very topic.

Not only is she a fantastic person to chat to about privateering, but also the UCI Eliminator Mountain Bike World Cup, a much smaller discipline of mountain biking. Imagine track cycling on mountain bikes and single track...INSANITY!

Stick around to hear what Hannah has in store for you, follow her journey on her social medias too!

@hannah.beckii

It's never just about the bike. It never has been and never will be. Cycling is built strongly around the relationships we have with ourselves, others, races, equipment, and more. Our sport needs community to thrive, grow, and develop into what we know today, and hope to achieve tomorrow.

Alexey Vermeulen and Avery Stumm (and Willie) are creating a cycling atmosphere, following, and community like no other. Good people attract good people, and this team are keeping cycling real, fun, chill, and exciting for seasoned riders and those to the sport alike. If one person's positive comment can inspire another to start riding, then we can all do so much. Alexey & Avery are are giving us that hope! It also helps having the coolest dachshund as well...

Instagram: @alexeyvermeulen

@avery_stumm

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@alexeyandavery